April 2020
Interior Lighting Tips – Task Lighting
Ever feel like there just is not enough light in a living room to sit down and comfortably read a good book or look over some business documents? Could you relax in an overly illuminated living room? Such thoughts come up when there is an imbalance between task lighting and ambient lighting. Understanding the difference between these two lighting types and using them effectively can help you bring harmony to the lighting in your home.
Basics of Task Lighting
You might be surprised to find out just how much of a role each room plays in the lives of its inhabitants. Rooms are often used for both work and relaxation. You may find yourself answering emails on the living room couch or playing a classical guitar piece in your bedroom. These activities contribute to and define the overall function of a room and typically require more than ambient lighting from overhead fixtures. That is when task lighting comes into play. Task lighting is fundamentally any lighting that helps to facilitate a particular visual task. In a residential setting, that job may be reading, writing, cooking, sewing, or even eating.
Task lighting can take on many forms, including desk lamps, track lighting, or fluorescent fixtures under cabinets. Efficiently distributing task lighting throughout a home requires carefully identifying the function of each room and choosing the right type of lighting.
Instead of going further into the theory of task lighting, why don’t we take a look at the rooms of a standard home and suggest some task lighting solutions for each one.
Bedroom
The bedroom is where you start and end your day. It functions as both a place for daily preparation and a quiet place of relaxation before turning in for the night. If you are like most people and enjoy reading or occasionally working in bed, you will most definitely need some task lighting. Though there are quite a few options available, one of the most practical solutions is to have a lamp on each side of the bed. Doing so allows one partner to read while the other sleeps. You may choose to place a table lamp on each nightstand or install wall lamps that will keep you from having to reach too far to turn the light on or off.
Bathroom
The most important aspect of a bathroom is the vanity, as it plays a large role in morning preparation. Most people make the mistake of placing a recessed ceiling fixture over the mirror or buying a vanity with built-in overhead lighting. But lighting from one side casts shadows on the face. The best way to balance vanity lighting and get rid of shadows is to place vertical fixtures on both sides of the mirror. The center of each fixture should be at eye level. You want the vanity to be very well lit. Use fixtures with dimmer controls if you are afraid of overdoing. In doing so you will ensure that any person who uses the vanity …
Versatile Performance Flooring
A wooden dance floor is the choice of most dance studios, and for good reason. Seasons of durability and great looks are what keep these types of floors installed for dance purposes. In order to offer as many different types of dance classes at your studio and to increase revenue, you will need to think about how the performance flooring affects the type of dance being performed on it, and how certain types of flooring can enhance or hinder the dance.
All wood dance styles should be of the sprung dance floor type. What this means is that above the bottom sub floor rests a cushioning layer of product. It might be foam core, or other soft materials. Above this is placed the top wooden dance. This makes it possible to dance in a room that might not have sub flooring suitable for dance, such as concrete or other hard surfaces. A sprung wood dance floor provides the resilience that a dancer’s body needs when jumps are performed, as well as when percussive movements of the feet and legs upon the floor are performed. This type of sprung wooden dance helps to prevent tiny stress fractures and other stress injuries to the legs and joints from happening, making for a healthier dancer over time.
The type of wood used can also have an impact on the type of dance performed. For a good tap dance floor, you want a very live floor that offers a lot of sound naturally, without the dancers having to pound their feet hard on the floor to get any sound out of it. This is why hard woods such as maple are an excellent choice for a tap dance floor. Just the opposite is true for a ballet dance floor, where you would want the sound dampened rather than enhanced, so a softer wood would be preferable in this instance.
A ballet floor or a tap dance will often be finished with urethane, which is a coating used to protect the wood’s surface from damage. The top finish coating plays a role in speed, or slipperiness, of the floor’s surface. A tap dance will need a medium speed urethane finish. This helps the dancers to execute tap moves more easily, without the likelihood of twisting ankles due to too much traction on the floor’s surface. You can also use slow to medium urethane finishes for a ballet dance floor, but adjustments to the dance shoes will need to be made. You typically do not want a very slippery floor surface for a ballet dance floor, due to the lifts and jumping involved, which would be quite dangerous on a slick floor. The dancers would need to use rosin on the medium speed ballet dance, but could eliminate the rosin when working on pointe on the slow speed floor.
More information is available about ballet and tap dance floor choices from a manufacturer of sprung wood floors.…
Purchasing a Home Warranty – Important Things to Remember For Home Buyers
Purchasing a home is a very important investment especially for first-time home buyers who are new in the real estate industry. Making sure that you undergo legal and proper processes in buying your house is essentially important. One of the vital components you need to consider during home purchase is securing a home warranty. Home sellers and home buyers alike need to learn and understand the mechanics of home warranty in order to get the most out of it for their advantage.
What is home warranty?
It provides protection for new home owners against any maintenance or repair problems which may occur during the first year of occupancy. It is quite a nightmare for home owners to realize that even if they have just moved in, they are already dealing with various breaks or malfunctions in their new home. Repairs and fixtures certainly cover myriads of systems and items in the house, therefore to have a total peace of mind and worry-free living, it is a sound idea to invest on home warranty. This is an important notion to consider especially for first-time home buyers who basically do not have any home maintenance experience.
How much is it?
When purchasing home warranty, you need to prepare approximately $250 to $400 depending on your preferred coverage. Most companies offer home warranty with special discount rates and policies. The policy may expire or can be renewed since it is paid in advance for one year.
In buying a home warranty, make sure that you have substantial knowledge about it since most home warranties are mistaken with home insurance. Home warranty covers house repairs and replacements of appliances which are not functioning like refrigerator, stove and air conditioning among others. It also deals with roofing or plumbing issues inside the house. Home insurance on the other hand deals with protecting your house from fire or theft and is also liable for injuries incurred in your property or by a member of your family.
How does it work?
Here are some of the things you benefit from for purchasing one.
o Any home system or appliance that breaks or malfunctions are taken cared by the company.
o Home warranty company calls a qualified service provider to cater to the problem covered by the policy.
o The service provider fixes the problem of the policy owner and if an appliance seized to work or functions and is beyond repair, the company pays for the replacement and installation of the appliance. It is important to note that replacement of appliances depends on the policy bought by the home owner.
It is an indispensable tool you can always access especially during hassles inside the house. It is important to ensure that your home systems are functioning well in order to conveniently do your daily chores and activities in the house without worries and delay. With the right warranty company to provide you with your personal and distinct needs, you are sure that you are protected from the …
5 Ways To Refresh Your Home On A Budget: Buy Laminate Flooring And More
Day in and day out, your home serves as sanctuary, pit stop, storage facility, and entertainment venue. It can also get stale, outdated, and even threaten your health. Drapes, pillows, upholstery, and carpets can harbor dirt, dust, grime, and insects that cause respiratory and other health-related problems. These textiles can also cause bad odors to persist. Refreshing your home, both literally and figuratively, is easier and more affordable today than ever before with cheap Pergo laminate flooring, inexpensive accent pieces, live plants, a few buckets of paint, or some new curtains. Each of these redecorating activities can be done by the homeowner with a minimal investment of time and money.
Instead of hiring contractors and disrupting your home and bank account, refresh the appearance and improve the healthfulness of your home by replacing old window treatments, adding new accent pieces, or buy laminate flooring. Painting walls and replacing cabinet hardware can also result in an affordable, do-it-yourself home improvement project with lasting benefits.
Give Hardware A Hand
Cabinet hardware is easy to replace, affordable, and there are many styles from which to choose. Your kitchen and bathroom cabinets can go from dreary and damaged to smooth and elegant with just a few turns of a screwdriver. For a bigger effect, the faces of the cabinets, drawers, and doors can be refinished or painted at the same time. Very often, stripping off old paint reveals beautiful natural wood grain that has been well preserved and looks lovely with nothing more than an application of sealant!
Strike A Pose
The artwork and accent pieces found in a room can completely alter its personality. Throw pillows, live plants, statuary, and art can turn a chaotic mess into a stylish showplace without breaking the budget. Family photographs in simple frames, layers of colored stones in a glass vase, or a living aquarium can provide affordable renovations to the look and feel of practically any room in the house.
Coat With Color
Painting the walls of a room is an inexpensive way of changing the decor and creating a completely different atmosphere. Painting does, however, require an understanding of the risks of lead found in old paint. Keeping safety issues in mind, the colors selected can generate any mood or style the homeowner chooses.
Window Wonders
Homeowners can also redecorate a room affordably with window treatments, such as drapery, shades, sheers, and blinds, just to name a few. There are many online sources available that offer a wide range of window treatments, allowing homeowners to select or create their very own style using materials that suit the interior decor of their liking.
Build A Solid Foundation
A home’s foundation is its primary source of strength and stability. In the same way, flooring protects us from the outside world, it provides a smooth surface for feet and furniture, and it sets the tone for the style of the room. Flooring also plays a major role in a family’s health. Ratty, old carpeting can harbor dust mites, …
Repairing Gouges in Terrazzo or Polished Concrete Floors
There are a few tips and tricks that you can follow in order to repair any minor marks or gouges in your polished concrete or terrazzo floors.
Cracks in flooring:
There are a few methods depending on the size of the crack in your polished concrete. If you have a pneumatic needle scaler for cleaning up small cracks with a little dust it can be beneficial to help repairing cracks in your polished concrete floors. Another method is with your own do it yourself “sand” formula.
For small cracks
A� aluminum oxide
A� local fine washed river sand
For larger cracks
1/3 aluminum oxide
1/3 local river sand
1/3 local fracture rock
Gouges:
Repairing gouges in your concrete flooring is really pretty easy. However you want to make sure the old concrete bonds to the new concrete or your repair could last you less than a year. There are a few necessary steps to follow in order to repair gouged concrete flooring.
Make sure you clean out the noticeable gouge. This means you will want to remove all the dust, stones, and dirt. You will need to do a good portion of this by hand. Once you have the larger stuff out you can use a bristle brush to clear out the remaining.
Mix up concrete paint. This is really considered to be watered down concrete. Mix a tiny portion of concrete in a 5 gallon bucket. Usually you will keep adding in water until it is very thin.
Make sure the surface is lightly damp. Paint the inner portion of the gouge and the area that is located around it with water. Just get it damp, don’t try to soak it.
Paint the inside of the gouge and around the outer edge with the concrete paint. This will create something for it to attach to.
Mix up your concrete using the 5 gallon bucket. You will want to add in water and stir it up.
Fill in the gouge with the concrete. The concrete mix will stick onto the concrete paint which creates a firm seal between the new and old. Spread it evenly with the original concrete.
You can see that the entire process of repairing gouges within polished concrete is really fairly easy and can be done with a few ingredients and tools. Polished concrete flooring is really beneficial all around, and requires little to no upkeep.…
How Does Laminate Flooring Stack Up Against Real Wood?
There are both advantages and disadvantages when comparing laminate flooring with hardwood flooring. Both of these materials are excellent for any home, however they are also very different. First, let’s examine wood floors and why you might want them in your home. Wood floors are classic, traditional, beautiful and with the right maintenance, can last a lifetime. The problem is that wood flooring requires buffing and refinishing to maintain its beauty.
On the other hand, laminate flooring does not require this kind of maintenance. And, when compared with how difficult it is to install wood floors, laminate definitely comes out on top. The majority of laminate floor choices can be snapped together like puzzle pieces, without the need for glue or nails. Even if you’re not handy with tools you can lay one of these floors in a matter of hours. And, you can walk on your new floors immediately after they are put down, you don’t have to wait. These floors are durable, and are coated with space age crystal clear finishes for strength and shine.
You’ll be amazed at how authentic these floors appear when made to look like wood, stone and other flooring materials. Some laminate is textured and even sounds like the actual material it looks like when walked upon. And with a good installation job, no one but you will realize your floor is laminate, it might for example look identical to exotic teak or sophisticated mahogany.
There are just so many different choices. Whether you like wood, stone, cork, bamboo or some other material, your floor can look exactly as you like. Many flooring choices are made to appear seamless. Some are tiles, some are strips and some are planks. What you should choose depends upon your particular household needs.
Laminate flooring is easy to clean and care for. All it requires is a sweep and damp mop. There are affordable cleaning products made for this type of material. Another benefit is the vast selection you’ll find when shopping around for this type of floor. There are hundreds of different laminate flooring choices from numerous manufacturers, many of which are household names.…
Wood Flooring – Types and Caring For Your Floor
Wood flooring has continued to be the most popular choice of flooring for a house. This is because it gives a feeling of warmth and adds value to ones home. There is a wide range of wood flooring options available for you to choose from.
You may use wood in almost all parts of your home except for the kitchen and bathroom where wood is not advisable to use due to moisture retention. If you are searching for the type of wood that you will use, you should consider the overall decor and theme of your home.
Choices in Wood Flooring
The most common choice of wood flooring is the hardwood. Some popular hardwood choices are hickory, oak, maple, cherry, Bella wood, and walnut. They come in different colors and shades. Cherry and walnut do not need to be applied with artificial colors as they have natural rich tone.
After you have chosen which type of wood you will use, you have to decide on the floor finish that you will apply. You may opt to buy pre-finished wood with clear coating as protection. Purchasing pre-finished may require you a huge budget but you will definitely save a lot of time and effort.
If you do not want to buy pre-finished, you may choose to do the finishing yourself. After installing the floor, you need to apply urethane as protective coating. You may need to apply several coats of urethane for a more durable floor. After every coat, you should sand the floor for a smoother surface. It takes several days for this process to complete.
Another option that you may consider is distressed or reclaimed flooring. Though this type of floor does not have smooth feel, it is naturally beautiful and has a unique character. One advantage of this type is that scratches do not easily manifest unlike in urethane flooring.
Aside from the traditional flooring choices, another option is laminate flooring. It looks like real hardwood and can be bought at cheaper price. Armstrong Flooring is one company that offers laminates of high quality. Bamboo and cork flooring are also other options.
Proper Care of Wood Flooring
Whatever type of flooring you choose to have in your home, you can make your wood flooring durable and last longer by giving it the proper care and maintenance. Below are some care tips for a long lasting wood floor.
1. Remove dirt and dust by regularly sweeping or vacuuming the floor. Do not let your floor accumulate dirt and dust as this may cause scratches on the floor.
2. Put mats at the entrance doors to minimize dirt from entering your house.
3. Gently clean the floor with mop when needed. Use a nearly dry mop instead of wet one. Water may be retained in the floor causing it to wear out over time. Molds may also grow in between the slats of the wood, which will eventually damage your floor.…
Water Butts For Septic Tanks Are Affordable and Easy to Find
Water butts for Septic Tanks are containers used as storage for rain harvesting. It is 200 liters in capacity and made of lightweight material. It can be carried easily anywhere you would want to place it. Most often it is situated at the back of the house near the garden where stored rain from the butts is used for gardening. Instead of using hose getting water from the main water line water butts are useful source of watering the garden. You can install one or more containers connected together by storage connector available at the hardware store. Connecting five 200 liters water butts is much cheaper than building 1000 liters storage tank capacity.
Water storage are useful especially in arid areas for storing rainwater and used for domestic purposes. Rainwater from water containers can be used for washing the clothes, watering the plants, flushing the toilet, cleaning the cars and other household use. Butts must be covered to prevent it from breeding ground for larvae since any clean water is what mosquitoes prefer for their breeding grounds and also to prevent it from being contaminated. Water are usually installed above the ground and the material is usually opaque to prevent sunlight exposure thus decreasing the bloom of algae.
Butts have been around for some time. They are durable and dependable. Installation of butts in other areas is mandatory especially if there is a community wide program for conserving water. Since it is affordable and simple to install any household can easily have it. They position the butts in houses’ downpipes for collection of rainwater. Water butts are provided with taps and they will give you direct access to all the rainwater you harvested. The complete kits for water butts include water butts itself, stand for water butts and rain diverters. These are all easy to fit and once the butts are connected to your downpipes they are ready to use and to collect rainwater right away.
Water storage is really essential for small to medium scale storage for rainwater harvesting. They are compact and will not require a large space. They are also durable since water containers are made of high grade quality materials and can be used for long life. This is a good remedy if you have a small patio and you need to save on water. Recycling water for future use is a great solution when there is shortage of water and butts is the simple obvious answer. Water butts are hard wearing and resilient that is why it is most desirable for storage of rainwater.
Water butts for Septic Tanks are a good way to save money. People nowadays are aware of the importance of saving and you can start it by saving water by means of butts. This is very practical approach and also time and energy efficient since you will only need to place the water butts from the source of your rainwater. This is also a very good solution in preparing especially if …
How To Choose A Wheelchair Accessible House Plan
Nowadays it is very easy to get handicapped accessible house plans online from different architects and home designer websites. However, with so many options available, it is important to know how to choose the ideal house plan to meet all your needs, both physically and financially.
Firstly, the wheelchair accessible home plans should be designed by professional and experienced architects preferably ones trained in universal home design. Get professionally designed home plans for the sake of safety and value for money.
Secondly, get all the little details about the house plan’s accessible design. Look at how the home is designed from the front porch space to the master bedroom features. If possible, view the house design in 3 dimension, either as a physical model or CAD software. A 3D view will enable you to have a better sense of how the home will look like when complete, along with how the design is adapted to the handicapped or elderly individual.
Thirdly, do find out from the designer whether it is possible to customize the default handicapped accessible house plans. Remember that the home is designed with a general idea of a handicapped individual’s needs, but only the person in need of the accessible design knows exactly what they require. Maybe the ramps are curved and you prefer them straight, or the placement of the laundry area needs to be changed. Suit the home design for the highest efficiency and convenience to the residents, not simply stick with the given house plan as it is.
Fourthly, get as many copies of the home plans as possible. The standard practice is to get about five to eight sets of the desired home plan: A copy for the home owner, the contractor, the mortgage lender, the local building department, and the sub-contractors. Get these important documents in different formats, including PDF files for soft copies. You should also get a list of the building materials required for the plan from the architect since it will give you a good idea of the cost of building the home.
Keep in mind that once you purchase a home plan, along with its blueprints, you will not be able to return it. Copies of blueprints can be made quite easily, so to avoid losses, designers and architects do not allow returns for any dissatisfied customers. This means that you have to be absolutely sure about your choice of wheelchair accessible home plans before purchasing.
Do your research and learn all you can about universal home design for handicapped or elderly individuals. Use these tips to choose the best wheelchair accessible plan with the best features and best value for your investment.…
The Importance of Erosion Control in Mitigating Environmental Damage
One of the greatest pollutants affecting public lands and places is sediment. Although most people are unfamiliar with the ways sediment harms bodies of water and recreational spaces, sediment can have a big impact on the fertility of the soil, bioactivity in lakes and streams, and structural integrity of infrastructure. Sediment is one of the products of erosion. If you are considering erosion control Southern California here are some things to consider.
Erosion: What It Is and How It Works
Erosion is the process by which different environmental conditions— water, wind, and ice—removes soil, rock, or other material from one location to another. While erosion is a natural environmental process, the rate at which areas experience erosion can be greatly impacted by human activity. Human processes that exploit lands such as, deforestation and agriculture can accelerate the rate of erosion in a given area.
Erosion Control and Why It’s Important
Erosion control is the practice of preventing or controlling the effects of erosion across various industries. In areas that have a concentrated amount of agriculture or land development, control measures are vital in diminishing the detrimental effects of erosion. Proper erosion control techniques can help mitigate the runoff, soil loss, and pollution that can occur from a high erosion rate. Some erosion control measures include:
- Soil stabilization
- Hydroseeding
- Cellular confinement systems
- Reforestation
Erosion is a natural process in which different environmental forces displace particles of the Earth’s crust from one location to another. Water, wind, and many other elements cause erosion to occur naturally; however, humans can have a tremendous impact on the rate of erosion by exploiting various lands. Processes that society relies on for different products, such as agriculture and logging can accelerate the rate of erosion to a harmful level. In order to mitigate the effects of human-caused erosion, it is important to practice appropriate erosion control techniques.…